Combined connector and switch



Feb. 20, 1940. 1 w. cooK COMBINED CONNECTOR AND SWITCH Filed Aug. 19, 1937 Patented Feb. 2'0, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Leonard W. Cook, Stratford, Conn., assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation o! New York Application August 19,1937, Serial No. 159,903

4 Claims.

The present invention vrelates to a connector having a liquid contact circuit closer for controlling the circuit through the connector in accordance with its position. One use for con- 5 nectors of this type is in handles for electric appliances, such as vacuum cleaners, the connector being mounted in the handle so as to control the circuitto the appliances in accordance with the position of the handle.

An object of my invention is to provide an improved construction and arrangement in connectors of this type. Another object of my invention is to provide an improved handle for electric appliances. For a consideration of what I believe to be novel and my invention, attention is directed to the accompanying description and thel claims appended thereto.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a vacuum cleaner having a handle equipped with a combined connector and switch embodying my invention; Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional elevation of the lower end of the handle taken through the connector; Figure 3` is a sectional view taken on line 3--3 of Figure 2; and Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Referring to the drawing, there is shown a vac uum cleaner having a' casing I carried on front and rear supporting wheels 2. At the rear of 30 the casing is a horizontal electric motor 3 which drives a fan located Within the casing producing a suction which draws the dirt through the suction nozzle 4 and discharges it through a discharge outlet 5 into a bag 6. The upper end of 35 ythe bag is suspended from a tubular handle 1, the

lower end of which is xed in a clamp 8 at the upper end of a fork 9 pivoted at III on the cleaner casing. 'Ihe pivotal mounting of the fork 9 permits the handle to be pivoted to positions between 40 the horizontal and vertical.

The power supply for the vacuum cleaner is obtained through a conductor cord which extends through an opening in the upper end of the handle 1 down through the handle. When the cleaner is not in use the conductor cord may be coiled around hooks l2 on the handle. In the lower end of the handle'is a combined connector and switch which has a housing or body portion I3 of suitable molded insulating material held 60 therein by a. set screw I4. In the lower end of the housing are rectangular openings |5 for receiving the blades I8 of an attachment plug cap I1. The blades are connected by conductors |8 to the motor 3. The blades cooperate with strip contacts I8 and 20 positioned in the openings I5.

(Cl. 20o-51) The contact strip 20 extends from the opening I5 along the side walls of a recess 2| and is llxed at its upper end toa contact 22 carried by a plate 23 of insulating material which is secured to the upper end of the housing and forms the top wall of the recess 2|. One of the line conductors IIa of the conductor cord is connected to the contact 22 by means of a binding screw 24 threaded therein. Within the recess 2| is a liquid contact circuit closer of the type shown in Patent 2,102,092 Payne. 'Ihis circuit closer has an envelope comprising two opposed cup-shaped metal terminals 25 having outwardly projecting iianges 26 which butt against annular shoulders 21 in a ceramic diaphragm 28. 'I'he closure of the envelope is completed by a bead 29 of glass which is sealed to the anges 26 and to the outer edge of thediaphragm 28. Within the envelope is a small quantity 30 of mercury which-completes the circuit between the terminals when the circuit closer is positioned so that the opening 3| in the diaphragm is submerged in the mercury. When the opening 3| in the diaphragm is above the mercury the circuit between the terminals is interrupted by the diaphragm 28. The circuit closer is preferably filled with hydrogen at a pressure of one or more atmospheres to increase its interrupting capacity. The circuit closer is connected in serieswith the contact I9, one of the terminals 25 being fixed to a ring-shaped portion 32 at the upper end of the contact |9'and the other terminal being xed to a similar ringshaped portion 33 at the lower end of a contact strip 34 fixed to a contact 35 of the same construction as the contact 22. The circuit closer is, therefore, supported within the recess 2| by the contacts I9 and 34. Conductor I Ib of the conductor cord is connected to the contact 35 by means of a binding screw 36 'threaded therein. Between the binding screws 24 and 36Vis a barrier 31 of insulating material which is secured to the plate 23 by the contacts 22 and 35. The barrier prevents short circuit between the bared ends of the conductors Ila and ||b. Short circuit between the contacts 20 and 34 is prevented by an intermediate bre washer 38 on the right-hand circuit closer terminal.

The operation of the circuit closer is shown in Figure 3. When the handle is in a vertical position, as shown in Figure 3, the opening 3| in the diaphragm 28 of the circuit closer is raised above the mercury and the circuit to the motor 3 is therefore broken. When the handle is moved to a position approximately 15 degrees from the vertical, the opening 3| is submerged in the mercury completing the circuit to the motor. The circuit to the motor remains completed While the handle is moved between this last position and the horizontal. The degree range in which the n10- tor circuit is completed covers the range of movement of the handle during normal use of the cleaner. When the cleaner is not in use the handle is normally returned to the vertical po'- sition and the motor is automatically stopped. If the cleaner is inverted or turned on its side, for the purpose of makingadjustments or repairs, the mercury ilows to a position interrupting the circuit to the motor. The vacuum cleaner motor is therefore automatically started only when the handle is in its normal position for use.

bined connector and switch simplifies the wiring, it only being necessary to connect the line conductors to the line terminals 22 and 35.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. In an electric appliance or the like having a movable handle, a combined connector and switch in circuit to the appliance carried in fixed rel-ation to said handle comprising a unitary housing having line terminals for connection with line conductors, contacts for connection with a separable attachment plug, a liquid contact circuit closer in said housinghaving an envelope including opposed cup-shaped terminals, contact strips respectively connected at one end to one of said contacts and one of said line terminals and at the other end tting over and connected to oneof the cup-shaped terminalsA of the circuit closer for supporting the circuit closer, and means `connecting the other of said contacts and the other of said line terminals, the circuit closer being positioned so that the circuit to the appliance is controlled in accordance with the inclination of the handle. v

2. In a combined connector and switch, a unitary housing having line terminals for connection with conductors, contacts for connection with a separable attachment plug, a liquid contact cir-- cuit closer in said housing having an envelope in- In' addition to providing a simple control, the comy cluding opposed cup-shaped terminals, contact strips respectively having one end '.tting over one of ysaid cup-shaped terminals and having the other conductor cord extending into the upper end of j. and down through the handle, and a combined connector and switch comprising a housing recessed within the lower end of the handle, said housing having terminals for connection with the conductor cord, contacts for connection with a separable attachment plug connected to the floor tool, and a liquid contact circuit closer within the housing and connected in circuit between one of said contacts and one of said terminals for controlling the circuit between said contacts and terminals in accordance with the position of the handle.

4. In an electric floor tool or the like, a tubular handle movably mounted at its lower .end and having a hand grip portion at its upper end, a conductor cord extending into the upper end of and down through the handle, and a combined connector and switch in circuit between said conductor cord and floor tool comprising a housing having terminals for connection with conductors, f

contacts for connection with a separable attachment plug, and a liquid contact circuit closer within the housing and connected in circuit between one of said contacts and one of said terminals for controlling the circuit between said con-` tacts and terminals, said housing being connected to the handle so that the circuit closer controls the circuit in accordance with the position of the handle.

LEONARD W. COOK. 

